The Oakland A’s could abandon the Oakland Coliseum ahead of their lease expiring which is at the end of the 2024 season. The A’s could play at Las Vegas Ballpark home of the triple A Las Vegas Aviators after this season if the Nevada State Assembly approves the Tropicana Ballpark on the Vegas Strip. (photo from thegreatgame.com)
The Homeless A’s
That’s Amaury News and Commentary
By Amaury Pi-González
Oakland is as diverse as any other city in its size in the country and has a much larger media market than Las Vegas. Yet Oakland is currently going through a serious slump and seems to be more often than not in the news with a plethora of negative news and many challenges (as listed below); trying to keep the A’s is just one of those challenges.
-Homelessness. According to recent surveys of Oakland residents, it is the most urgent issue facing the city of Oakland. Conservative estimates list at least 5,000 homeless people “living” in the streets and parks in Oakland. A’s night games at the Coliseum are averaging less than 5,000 per game. -Drugs in the streets.
According to the OaklandSide, Methamphetamine, a highly addictive stimulant drug, is on the rise in Oakland. In both its quantity on the streets and the number of people who die from using it, meth comes second only to opioids (including fentanyl and heroin) in Alameda County.
But unlike fentanyl and other opioids, which have buprenorphine as a medicated treatment option, there isn’t yet a drug on the market that can treat patients’ meth addictions. -Crime: Oakland, CA, is a city that unfortunately suffers from significantly higher rates of crime than the US average. For violent crimes, the rate in Oakland is 75.5 compared to only 22.7 incidents nationally.
Property crime is also alarmingly above the national average, with 81.2 occurrences in Oakland compared to 35.4 on a national level. Clearly, this city needs to take steps to ensure the safety of its citizens and reduce these high crime rates to improve the quality of life for its residents.
-Affordable housing: Once Oakland was a “reasonable city” regarding rental prices for apartments and real estate/homes. Not anymore. In February, Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao fired Chief of Police LeRonne Armstrong from the city without a cause. Mr. Armstrong, an Oakland native, was one of the most popular chiefs of Police in recent history for the city of Oakland.
Oakland has had 12 chiefs of Police during the past 10 years. Oakland A’s and why the City of Oakland needs their baseball team to stay. It is good for their economy and good for the morale of not losing their third professional team during the last six years.
Considering all the stuff happening in Oakland in the last few years, Oakland needs the A’s more than ever today for financial and psychological reasons. Mayor Thao said she is “fighting for the A’s to stay in Oakland” this week.
During the negotiations in the Nevada Legislature, when lawmakers asked Oakland A’s representatives if they could not get the financing needed for their new ballpark, would the team reconsider going back to the table with Oakland, then Steve Hill, the CEO and President of Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, jumped in to clarify the A’s stance and said (quote) “If this agreement does not go through, they will look for other cities to move to.
They will not decide to stay, even if this does not go through”. The A’s moving to Las Vegas has the support of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and most of the biggest Labor Unions in Nevada, plus the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce.
Currently, the Homeless A’s are looking for a city to play their games, as they still hope to build a new park. Do the A’s need Oakland more than Oakland needs the A’S? Time will tell. Howard Terminal negotiations agreement with the baseball team expired during the month of May. Maybe owner Fisher will sell, maybe not.
MLB Commissioner Manfred has been very quiet during the past couple of weeks. The A’s are on pace to establish the new record for the lowest record during a season, that of the New York Mets in their inaugural season (1962), when Casey Stengel’s Mets ended with 40-120 (.250), finished tenth and last in the National League, 60 1/2 games behind the National League Champion San Francisco Giants, who went on to the World Series won by the New York Yankees in seven games.
Finally, but very important, about revenue sharing – The A’s would receive only a 25% share in 2022, a 50% share in 2023, a 75% share in 2024, and a total share in 2025. The shares in the last two years were contingent upon the A’s having an agreement in place for a new ballpark by 2024.
No agreement, no revenue sharing, My wife posed a very interesting question: With all of these back and forth, will the A’s be able to sign high-priced talent, to be competitive again? Las Vegas until next week: Joe Lombardo, Governor of the State of Nevada, has postponed the vote for the A’s stadium in Las Vegas and extended the vote until next week.
When lawmakers meet in these special sessions, a lot of horse trading goes on behind closed doors, like “if you scratch my back, I scratch yours”; they all want something. This recently elected Governor has publicly said he believes the A’s will be good business for Nevada. Did You Know?
The NFL Buffalo Bills, among the favorites to win the Superbowl next February, just got approved for a new venue under a cost of $1.4 billion, with $850 million paid by local and state taxpayers, for a franchise owned by multi-billionaire couple Terry and Kim Pegula. It is called the lure of professional sports.
Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead radio voice on the Oakland A’s Spanish radio network at 1010 KIQI San Francisco and 990 KATD Pittsburg and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com
